Filing cabinet



Sept. 12, 1961 H. WESTON ET AL FILING CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1958 H. WESTON ET AL FILING CABINET Sept. 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1958 HERBERT WESTON GILBERT LANDERSOIN BY \7 @OMa-u/J fi ATTORNEY U d States Pa Filed June 16, 1958, Ser. him 742,423 1 Claim. (Cl. 12916) This invention relates to filing. cabinets or trays. and more particularly toan expansible filewhereby the capacity of an installation may be increased.

When record cards or the likeare placed in-filing cabinets or trays, it is the usual practice to incline the cards rearwardly at an angle of about 30 when the file is closed, and to open the'fileto a desired card by inclining the cards in front of the desired one forwardly at a similar angle. In some instances, the front and rear walls of the file are inclined at such angle to support the cards at this angle. Whether or not the walls are so inclined, it is obvious that the capacity of the cabinet or drawer is limited by the fact that space must be provided to permit the upper edges of the cards to move forwardly or rearwardly when the cars are inclined in the drawer.

In the present invention we provide a construction whereby the entire space in a cabinet or tray may be filled with cards arranged vertically when the file is closed and with pivoted front and rear Walls which may be arranged at the desired angle to permit the cards to be inclined or tilted. Suitable means are also provided for locking the pivoted walls in vertical position when the file is closed and for releasing them when desired. The capacity of any file space may thus be materially increased, and at the same time, the files may function as heretofore, and the cards are just as accessible.

As shown in the drawing, the unit may consist of a base member, side walls and front and rear walls secured to the base. The front and rear walls are pivotally mounted on the base and are connected to arms which form part of the mechanism for locking the walls in vertical position and also limit the movement of the arms when the file is opened. The ends of these arms are received in a guide slidably mounted on one of the side walls, and a latch or locking lever cooperates with this guide to retain the parts in closed position, when desired.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated oe embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer of a filing cabinet, showing the drawer in open position, and showing one of the units of the invention positioned in the drawer;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the unit removed from the drawer with the front and rear walls in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a similar view with the front and rear walls in open position;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the unit, showing the operating mechanism, parts being shown in section; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a file cabinet 2 of conventional construction is illustrated in which a drawer 4 is mounted. The cabinetor frame may, of course, be of any size and may be intended to receive one or more drawers. The drawer is provided with a bottom 6 and with conventional supporting means 8 by means of which the drawer may be moved to the open position, or moved into the cabinet to a closed position. The drawer is provided with a front wall 10, but is formed without side walls.

. tensions on one side.

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The filing unit 12 of our invention includes a bottom 14 and side walls 16 secured ot the bottom in any suitable manner. At the front and back of the base, walls 18 extend upwardly a slight distance. The front and rear walls 20 are secured to the walls 18 by hinges 22 or other suitable pivoting means. These walls carry extensions 24 at each side which overlie the adjacent portions of side walls 16. Arms 26 are secured to the ex- The arms may be secured to the extensions in any suitable manner, as by welding. These arms extend toward the center of the side walls, and are received in a guide 28. As shown, the guide consists of a main portion 30, side portions 32, extensions 34 and edge portions 36. A pair of angle irons 38 are secured to the side wall 16 and extend from top to bottom of the unit. The extensions 34 and edge portions 36 of guide 28 are received in these angle irons to slidably support the guide on the side wall. The side portions 32 of the guide are provided with slots 40 to receive the ends of the arms 26.

A locking member '42 is mounted on a pin or pivot 44 in the side wall between the members 38. The upper edge of side Wall 16 is provided with a flange 46 extending horizontally and downwardly. The horizontal portion of the flange is provided with a slot 48 through which the operating handle 50 extends. Locking member '42 is provided with a notch or cut-out portion forming a shoulder 52 which engages the upper edge of one of the side portions 36 of the guide when the locking member is in the operative position shown in FIG. 4.

In operation, the unit 12 is placed in drawer 4 with the front and back wall 20 of the unit at the sides of the drawer. When the unit is closed, as in FIG. 2, it is contained within the drawer and the drawer may be opened and closed. The drawer is made without side walls permitting the unit to be opened as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the drawer is in open position. With the unit in the closed position shown in FIG. 2, shoulder 52 of the locking member is in engagement with the guide 28. This retains the arms 26 in the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 with their outer ends in lowered position, and retains the front and rear walls 20 in vertical or closed position. The mechanism for locking the front and rear walls is mounted on side wall 16 just behind the front 10 of the drawer. After the drawer has been opened, locking member 42 may be swung on its pivot to disengage shoulder 52 from guide 28. The dividers 54 and cards 56 within the unit then tend to expand causing the front and rear walls 20 to move to the inclined or open position. As the Walls 20 move on their pivots, the outer ends of arms 26 move upwardly carrying the guide 28 with them to the position shown in FIG. 3. When the unit is to be closed, walls 20 are again moved to a vertical position, causing guide 28 to return to its initial position. Locking member 42 is then moved into engagement with the guide to lock the unit in its closed position.

The unit may be used in connection with a filing cabinet having drawers as herein illustrated, or the unit itself may form a portable tray or may be mounted on a suitable base to form a filing tray. When used as a tray, it enables a greater number of them to be stored in a given space when the units are not in use and can, therefore, be closed.

The angle to which the walls 20 are opened may be controlled by dimensioning of the various parts. As shown in FIG. 3, when the file is open, the top of guide 30 is in contact with flange 46. This prevents further movement of arms 26 and this limits the angle to which walls 29 are opened. But changing the dimensions of one or more of the parts of the operating mechanism, this angle could, of course, be increased or decreased.

We claim:

A filing unit comprising a bottom member, a pair of spaced, opposed upright side walls fixed to said bottom member, spaced and opposed upright front and back Walls disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of said side walls in fixed relation thereto, front and back panels mounted along their lowermost edges for pivotal motion about axes parallel to the plane of said bottom member and said front and back walls respectively, each of said panels having a restraining arm rigidly fixed thereto, a free end of said arm extending substantially parallel to one of said side walls, a pair of spaced vertically disposed tracks mounted on said one side wall, a track follower having means along opposite side thereof for slidably engaging said tracks and for confining said follower to motion along said tracks, said follower also having wall means thereon extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of said one side wall, said wall means having slots therein for slidably receiving portions of said restraining arms adjacent the free ends thereof, the dimensions of said slots being such References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,958 Schneider Jan. 15, 1924 1,681,318 Banschbach Aug. 21, 1928 1,704,505 Kampman Mar. 5, 1929 2,356,495 Anderson et al. Aug. 22, 1944 2,598,814 McAfee June 3, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 54,146 Norway July 16, 1934 

